BOOK #9
RELEASE
FEBRUARY 11, 2020

BOOK #9 in the Detective Jack Murphy Thriller series.

Release date: February 11, 2020

In rural Indiana, the underground mines that once held coal and iron ore have become killing grounds. In two counties, five corpses have been discovered. Their deaths appear accidental, from drowning or suffocating. But local authorities have uncovered evidence suggesting they’ve all been murdered.

Assigned to the case as Federal Agents, Detectives Jack Murphy and Liddell Blanchard take charge of the investigation. As Jack digs deep into the case, he discovers the victims have checkered pasts. But no matter who believes the killings are justified, someone still has to pay for the crime…

Rick Reed

Rick Reed

Q&A

When I wrote an underground newsletter for the police department I never intended (nor would have guessed) that I would become the author of an extended thriller series. The purpose of he newspaper was to poke fun to lighten the mood at the precinct– act as a morale builder.
Back then I ‘published’ by leaving 20 or 30 copies on tables and desks around the police station. Readers would make copies and send them to other law enforcement agencies such as the FBI Academy and the U.S. Secret Service Academy. I was hooked. But it wasn’t until I caught a serial killer that my writing career took off.
I co-wrote BLOOD TRAIL, a true crime book, and wanted to continue writing–but not true crime. I waited three years to have the chance to write fiction and that was the beginning of the Jack Murphy thrillers.

I’ve never taken a formal writing class but I have been taken to task by my editor, Michaela Hamilton, of Kensington Books. Before that my idea of classes was reading as many books as possible that were written by authors in my genre. I’ve taught myself the hard way–by writing and making mistakes and rewriting. Writing is about patience, discipline, and just doing it.

During my 30 years in law enforcement and working in the courts I have had many crazy experiences. They say “write what you know”. I would add to that “and make up what you don’t.” I can’t admit to any particular experiences from my books because the statute of limitations has not run out. haha
However, some of the characters I met while still a detective have somehow come to life in my stories or are based on several characters from real life.